What You'll Need

16 oz. of Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (always cook al dente in salt water according to pkg directions)
Two tbsp. olive oil, divided
Two Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in 1″ cubes
One quarter tsp. salt
One quarter tsp. pepper
One half c. Onion, diced
Two cloves Garlic, minced
One Yellow Bell Pepper, long thin slices (or red, yellow and orange…)
One c. Broccoli florets
One c. Asparagus, chopped in 1″ pieces
One c. Grape tomatoes

How to Make It

Cook your pasta and let it drain. (tip: I always add a bit of olive oil to my pasta water during cooking so the noodles don’t stick together).
Sprinkle the chicken breast with salt and pepper.
Heat One tbsp.
oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook chicken until done and golden on all sides.
Remove and let rest in a large bowl.
Add the remaining olive oil and begin sauteing the onions for Two min.
Add in the garlic and bell pepper and saute another Two mins.
Then toss in any other woody veggies (broccoli, asparagus) saving the tomatoes until the very end.
When everything is cooked, combine the veggies with the chicken in your big bowl.
Now its time for the sauce!

In the same pan you cooked the chicken and veggies in, melt the butter over medium heat.
Toss in the flour and stir, cooking 1-2 minutes.
(We are making a roux) Slowly add in the half and half while stirring to prevent any clumps from forming.
Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and allow to simmer until you see boiling action.
Stir periodically.
When your sauce begins to thicken and bubble, turn off the heat and add in your cheese.
Stir until melty.
To assemble everything I like to add the pasta first so it gets nice and coated with sauce and then pour the rest of the goodies in. This makes enough for 4 people